Artificial wool



FIPEEEU? Patented Feb. '26, 1929.

I 'REFERENGE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GINO M. ROSSATI, OF PADUA, ITALY, AND GIUSEPPE m: BLASIO, OF NEW YORK, N.- Y.

ARTIFICIAL WOOL.

N'o Drawing.

This invention relates to a new and useful method of preparing vegetable fibres so that they resemble natural wool in appearance, texture, strength, and in other respects.

In accordance with our process the medium.

- family which we find most suited to our purpose is jute. The jute fibres to be converted are firstimmersed in a bath of lime water of the concentration of- 1%. The period of immersion should be fairly long and we have found that about two hours are required to obtain best results. In immersing the jute in this bath care should be taken that it be suspended in the bath or otherwise kept out of contact with the sediment which is usually found at the bottom of the vessel containing the lime solution. The jute is thenremoved from the bath and, without previous drying, is subjected to the action of sulphur dioxide for about one hour, after which the fibre is allowed to rest for about twelve hours. .Subsequently the fibre is washed and dehydrated, preferably in a centrifuge.

The above described treatment of the fibre is for the purpose of detaching and dissolving the combs that normally keep the fibres united.

After removal from the centrifuge the fibre is treated directly with a caustic solution of suitableconcentration, preferably a solution of caustic soda at 10 B., whereupon it is kept until almost perfectly dry. The treatment with the caustic soda and the subsequent drying of the fibre is for the purpose of strengthening the fibres and causing them to crinkle so that the ultimate product may readily be mixed and woven into cloth with natural wool.

As the next step in the process, the fibre is thoroughly washed in water and then placed in a bleaching solution such as a bath of sodium perborate, hydrogen peroxide or sodium hypoehlorite. The fibres are then washed in water to which A% of sodium bisulphite has been adder for the purpose of fixing the washing process. Then the fibres are washed in acidulated water, preferably a solutionof hydrochloric acid or sulphuric acid being used for that purpose. This will clean off all caustic soda that may remainon the fibres. The fibres are then im mersed in abath of sulphonated fatty acid "which will lubricate the fibres and give them Application filed January 18, 1928. Serial No. 24'f,744.

the necessary suppleness and texture. FinaL,

'ly, the fibres are dried without any washing and will have'the aspect of natural wool and can be used in substantially the same manner.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the process may be practiced with varlous modifications within the scope of the mventlon which is defined in the claims.

lVhat we claim is: i

1. The method of preparing vegetable fibres so that they resemble in quality natural wool, characterized by the step of immersing the fibres in a clear solution of lime watrw,

2. The method of prepahfingvegetable SEARCH Rofitt fibres of the family of Tiliaceiesotliat they resemble in quality natural wool, characterized by the step of immersing the fibres in a path of lime solution free from undissolved ime.

3. The method of preparing vegetable fibres so .that they resemble in quality natural wool, which comprisesthe following steps: lmmersing the fibres in a bath of lime water, sub] ecting them to the action of sulphur dioxide, allowing the fibres to rest, treating the fibres with a caustic solution, and immersing the fibres in a bath of sulphonated fatty acid.

4. The method of preparing vegetable fibres so that they resemble in quality natural wool, which comprises: destroying the combs which unite the fibres, washing said fibres, treating the fibres with a caustic solution and then drying them to crinkle the fibres, fixing the washing process, removing all caustic from the fibres, lubricating the fibres, and finally drying the fibres.

5. The method of reparing vebetable fibres so that they resem Is in quality natural wool, which comprises: immersing the fibres in a'bath of lime water out-of contact with the sediment in the bath, subjecting thenr to the action of sulphur dioxide, allowing the fibres to rest, washing and dehydrating said fibres, treating the fibres with a caustic solution, placing the fibres in a drying chamber Inc dehydrating said fibres, treating the fibres with a caustic solution at 10 B., again dehydrating the fibres, placing the fibres in a drying chamber until almost erfectly dry, placing them in a bleaching so ution, again washmg the fibres in water containing a 4% of sodium" bisulphite solution, washing the fibres in acidulated water, immersin the fibres in a bath of sulphonatedfatty acid, and finally drying the fibres.

7 The method of preparing jute fibres so that they resemble in quality natural wool, which consists in immersing the fibres in a bath of lime water of a concentration of 1% out oficonta'ct with the sediment in the bath for a'period of two hours, removing the fibres from the bath and without previous drying subjecting them to the action of -sulphur dioxthe fibres with a solution of caustic soda at 10 B., again centrifuging the fibres, placing the fibres in a drying chamber until almost-perfectly dry, thoroughly washing the fibres, placing them in a bleaching solution, again washing thefibres in water containing 70 of sodium bisulphite solution, again washing thefibres in water acidulated with 5% hydrochloric acid, immersing the fibres in a bath of sulphonated fatty acid, and final- 1y drying the fibres. t

8. The method of reparing vegetable fibres so that they resemiil'e in quality natural wool, which comprises treating the fibres with a clear solution of lime water, then with a solution of caustic alkali and then with a fixing solution, and washing the fibres after each of the above treatments.

In testimony whereof, we have si ned our names to this specification, this 17t day of January, 1928.

ide for a period of one hour, allowing the fibres to rest for atperiod of about 12 hours,

washing and centri uging said fibres,-treating GINO M. ROSSATI. GIUSEPPE DE BLASIO. 

